


A Second Chance

by TheHuntersCave



Series: I wanted to protect you [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, adrien my child you deserve to live so here you go, ah yes cause i couldn't just let him die, here's to those who cried because of the first part
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-01-03
Packaged: 2018-05-11 13:18:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5628004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHuntersCave/pseuds/TheHuntersCave
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a little squish his hand let go of her arm.<br/>His transformation let go too.<br/>Ladybug didn’t know what to do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

> This would be an alternative version to the events in The Time She Couldn't. I'd recommend you read that one first, but this can be read on its own just fine.

This wasn’t happening.

It had only been a second. One second where he got distracted. Ladybug could only stare as her companion was stuck by and akuma and fell to the floor. She lost control of her body then, everything that happened next a blur of colours. She remembered a scream, and something wet on her face. The akuma was somehow purified. She was suddenly running then, running to him. To Chat Noir.

“Oh no,” was all she could say. “Oh no, Chat, please.”

She kneeled next to him, positioning his head on her thighs. He made a face at the sudden movement, letting her know that he was still alive, but he wouldn’t open his eyes. She could see blood on the street, creating a pool around the superheroes. She gave out a cry.

“C’mon you stupid cat, don’t leave me. Don’t you dare.” She could only whisper to his face, placing her forehead against his.

A hand touched her, and she looked at her arm. It was Chat. She looked at his face, a smile on his lip as he whispered. “Don’t cry, My Lady. It’s ok.”

She was crying. Of course she was. “Chat, you’re gonna be ok. I’m gonna help you, alright?”

He gave a small laugh. “Oh, how you worry for mew,” He coughed, blood smearing his lips. “But I cannot make any purr-mises for you, not right now, although I wish I could.”

His voice was getting quieter after each word, and Ladybug had to try really hard to listen to what he was saying.

“Of course I worry about you, you’re my best friend. Chat, I don’t know what I’d do without you. Please stay with me. Please.” Her throat itched and her voice wouldn’t come out right. Chat smiled at the comment.

She could feel him grow colder by the second. His breathing started to lose rhythm, and more blood came out of his mouth. His muscles twitched and his grip on her arm was getting weaker. She knew it was coming. And he did, too, because with the last of his strength he opened his eyes, those green cat eyes, to look at her.

“Looking at your face, what a wonderful last sight…”

After a little squish his hand let go of her arm.

His transformation let go too.

Ladybug didn’t know what to do.

The mask disappeared and Adrien was left instead. A very pale, lifeless Adrien with a stupid grin on his face, and next to him, an equally motionless black kwami. How dare he die with a smile on his face?

She screamed louder than before, more and more tears running down her face. Her best friend was dead. Not only her best friend, but her crush as well. What was she supposed to do? What else could she do but scream her lungs out in despair?

People started to leave their hiding spots to come closer to her. Seeing Ladybug broke down was not something Paris wanted to see, nor the lifeless boy beside her.

She could hear her earrings beep, but she didn’t care. Tikki didn’t push, either. What was the point in running away? She couldn’t bring herself to just leave Adrien’s body on the street. So she stayed, hugging the body tighter, and kept crying.

Her transformation was gone in a pink light, and gasps could be heard all around.

Marinette cried harder than before, her civilian clothes getting dirty with the pool of blood. Her kwami flew next to the little black cat beside Adrien, trying to shake him awake. People around them were speechless. Some were crying as well, others with their phones on their hands. Tikki was screaming at the small black cat now, shaking him harder. Marinette screamed Adrien’s name as well.

A hand touched her shoulder, but she didn’t look up. She knew that touch.

“Marinette…” said a breathless voice.

Alya. Of course Alya was there, she was always where Ladybug was. She probably recorded everything, too. Chat’s –Adrien’s—death was recorded.

Alya kneeled beside her friend, a supporting hand on her back, but she said nothing. Alya was speechless herself, not believing Ladybug was the girl she had known for so many years. She didn’t try to tell her that it would be ok, because it wouldn’t. She just sat next to her friend and cried with her.

Soon the sound of ambulances could be heard. How long had it been? Marinette wasn’t sure if it felt like seconds or an eternity. Maybe both. Or maybe neither.

Someone was talking to them, and Alya let go of Marinette. The dark-haired girl whined at the lack of warm provided by her friend. The blogger was saying something, but Marinette couldn’t make sense of the words. She just knew Adrien was being taken away from her arms and she started screaming again. Alya took her by the shoulders to stop her from reaching the boy, both girls crying. Marinette saw paramedics place Adrien on a bed and take him into an ambulance, hooking him to different machines and performing CPR.

Someone took her in their arms as well. “No, Tikki!” Marinette whined, and pointed at the small red kwami on the floor.

Alya ran to the small being. There was just a red one now, holding something in her small hands. After a few words, the girl took Tikki in her hand.

The superhero was taken to an ambulance herself, and Alya was soon there with her, placing Tikki next to Marinette.

She felt numb on a physical level. All she had in her mind was Chat, her heart broken beyond repair. Someone was talking to her, but she didn’t register her surroundings. Alya was talking in her place, giving as much information as she could.

It was like everything moved around her while she stood still. Was this how the sun felt, unable to interact with the other planets? Funny how she compared herself to the sun when she felt like the light inside her was gone. As much as she felt like it, Marinette couldn’t bring herself to chuckle at her own thoughts. Not even a nervous laugh, nothing. She was completely in shock.

At some moment she fell asleep. Or maybe she was sedated. It didn’t matter now. She just knew she was waking up from a horrible nightmare she couldn’t remember anything about. For a few seconds she was blessed with ignorance. Oh, how good it felt to not remember what had happened. But no matter how good her luck was, this blessing didn’t last long.

Upon opening her eyes she saw her parents in the corner of and unknown room hugging each other. Alya was sitting on a chair beside her. And Tikki was on her chest, her small hand touching her cheek.

“Oh, Marinette!” cried the small creature.

Marinette frowned at the scene. What was Tikki doing? Why was she exposing herself like that?

The memories hit her like a truck. Tears formed in her eyes, her throat closing on itself, her hands trembling. Oh, right.

Chat Noir was dead.

“Tikki, he’s… Chat is…” she took her hands to her face, sobbing.

Alya and her parents were next to her bed in seconds, worried looks on their faces.

Marinette felt something cold, and looked at her hand. It was a ring. It was his Miraculous. She moaned in pain when she saw it.

“Mari, love, it’s ok,” said her father.

“Oh, Papa… ” she cried. “Mama, Alya, I am so sorry. It was my fault he—I’m sorry I had to keep it a secret, I’m so sorry, I’m so dumb…”

“Marinette, look at me,” said her mother. “Everything is ok.” She said very slowly.

She looked at her mom and held her stare. The girl nodded and continued to relax on her bed. She wasn’t hooked to an IV, which she was glad about. It was a good sign, too. That meant she would be getting out soon; although she wasn’t sure how long she’d been there. It had been a tough fight, and everything hurt. Her arms were wrapped in bandages, and so was part of her torso.

Alya took her hand and looked at her friend. Marinette knew that she was worried, but she was also freaking out inside about her being Ladybug. But friendship came first, and Alya managed to keep her reporter nature to herself.

Marinette spent most of that day sleeping; the moments she spent awake not wanting to talk much, crying in silence. She was mourning her Chat and wanted to do it alone. No one could truly understand how she felt. She lost two people in a split second. She held onto them –him—during his last seconds. The last thing he did was smile at her, his last words about her. How does one exactly keep on going after something like that?

She slept to scape her thoughts. It was a dreamless sleep, and she was thankful for it. Maybe if she slept everything would get better. Or maybe she wouldn’t wake up again. The second option was a tempting one, to be honest. She wouldn’t have to worry about anything then.

The next day she was to be released, and her parents and Alya were waiting for her. Marinette hugged them tight, murmuring how sorry she was. Alya took her hand and turned her friend to look at her in the eyes.

“Girl, I had no idea about this I _swear_ I just found out today and it is very important for you to know so I’m just gonna take you with me right now, no buts or protests from you just take my hand and come with me.” She spoke fast, too fast for Marinette to catch all of it, but followed her, looking back at her parents. They just smiled and waved at her.

“Alya, where are we going?” Marinette asked.

“I could tell you but I think it’ll be better if you just see it.”

They sneaked into a private room in the ICU then; or, as Marinette realised later, they were _allowed_ by the two guards at the door to sneak into said room. Once they stepped inside Marinette gasped and rushed to the bed in the middle of the room. She felt her knees give out and fell to the floor next to the bed, hands shaking like crazy, tears falling, heart beating hard. On a bed, connected to many different machines, was Adrien.

“Chat…” she whispered. “You stupid alley cat.”

Marinette took his hand in hers, and took it to her forehead. He was _alive_. He was slightly cold, but not as much as that time. His chest rose and fell slowly, his eyes closed. Marinette could feel her heart come together again, the small pieces returning to their rightful places. Adrien –her stupid cat companion—was alive. The joy she felt in that moment could not be put into words. She hadn’t realised how tense she’d been those past few days. Now she relaxed, knowing that Adrien was here, that he was not dead.

“The doctors don’t know if he’ll wake up,” said Alya, before pointing at Tikki. “But Tikki said something about how the Miraculous works.”

Marinette looked at her small friend. “What is it, Tikki?”

“The Miraculous have healing powers over their owners. I took it from him so it wouldn’t be stolen by Hawk Moth. But now you’re here to protect it.”

The kwami then proceeded to take the ring from Marinette and placed it in the boy’s finger. Out of the ring appeared the small black cat. Marinette had been so busy crying over Chat that she forgot about his kwami. Poor Tikki had been mourning just like her, and she hadn’t even asked.

“Tikki, I’m so sorry. I never asked you how you were feeling.” Marinette whispered to the red creature.

“Don’t worry Marinette, it’s ok. I know how you were feeling; you needed time to think.”

All three visitors watched as the black kwami made a ball out of his body on top of his boy. Marinette guessed that was a good sign, judging by Tikki’s face.

“I’m gonna leave you guys alone. You have some healing to do,” said Alya, placing a hand on Marinette’s shoulder. “But don’t you think for one second you’re getting away from an exclusive for the Ladyblog.” She added.

Marinette laughed. She had forgotten how nice it felt to do so. “I promise I will do it.”

She was then left alone with Adrien and both kwamis. She started to make small circles on his hand with her thumb, looking at the movement of his chest, appreciating just how happy she felt in that moment.

Tikki sat next to the small cat –Plagg was his name, she had said—and fell asleep with him. All her worries banished in a matter of seconds, and she, too, fell asleep next to her Chat.

 

“C’mon wake up. I’m hungryyyyyy,” said a small voice.

Marinette had fallen asleep next to Adrien, and she felt something pulling at her hair. She opened her eyes slowly, and was greeted by small green ones. “I need cheeeeeeeseeeee.”

She blinked at the black kwami in front of her. “Plagg!” she said.

“Yes, that’s me! Now get me my cheese, I haven’t eaten in _days_.”

Marinette stood up to look at the boy on the bed. If Plagg was awake, then that meant Chat…

Adrien was opening his eyes very slowly while groaning. The light was too bright for his taste, and it gave him a headache. Everything hurt, specially his back, where he received the attack and had hit the ground when he fell. He inhaled sharply at the memory of the events and tried to sit on his bed, but his body wouldn’t allow it. And then he noticed her. Marinette, his classmate, that girl who was shy around Adrien but became a warrior near Chat Noir. What was she doing here? He could only remember his Lady crying and then everything fading around him.

“Chat, oh my god,” said the girl with tears in her eyes.

“M-marinette? How do—“ his question was cut short when she hugged him, crying harder.

“You _stupid cat_. I was worried _sick_ , I thought you were _dead_.”

Adrien was full of questions. Nothing made sense to him, and he couldn’t think with that headache. He tried to say something, but words wouldn’t come out. What was Marinette doing? What was she doing there with him? He could understand why she’d be worried, he was pretty sure himself he had died, but why her? Why not Nino, or Natalie? Hell, maybe even his father.

“Adrien please ask her to bring cheese she won’t listen to me,” said Plagg coming into view.

Adrien’s heart stopped. What was Plagg doing, talking next to Marinette? And then he saw the small red creature holding a _huge_ piece of Camembert.

“Here you go, you insufferable cat.” The other kwami said, shoving the food into the cat’s mouth.

Plagg was delighted as he rested on the bed and ate his cheese.

“What?” was all Adrien could say.

“I wasn’t fast enough to get you out of the way. I should’ve known you’d get hurt but I couldn’t get to you on time I am so sorry Chat. I thought I lost you. I thought my best friend was gone. And then I saw _you,_ and I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t care that people were staring; I could only care about not leaving you alone. If you wouldn’t be there with your stupid cat puns, if you wouldn’t be there at school anymore, I couldn’t find a reason to care anymore. Every one saw. I still _don’t care_ that everyone knows now. I only care about _you_ , that you are _safe_ now, that you’re _alive_. Adrien, I’m sorry. I couldn’t protect you as Ladybug, I failed, and I can’t do that again. I may not get another second chance. I don’t want to lose my best friend. I love you too much for that.” Marinette said, her words leaving her lips at incredible speed. Everything she was feeling poured out of her, and she felt those words leave her lips and repeated them once more in a whisper. “I love you.”

Adrien was trying to make sense of it all. The gears turned, slowly, but they turned. He started to tie everything together. So this was a confession? But everything else she was saying, why would she have to protect him? She was talking about Chat Noir? About Ladybug?

And suddenly it made sense, and he looked up at shiny blue eyes. “Oh.” He whispered.

Marinette’s face was painted with panic, and the tears wouldn’t stop.

“No. No, no, no, Marinette stop crying, please,” He said reaching his hand to cup her face. His lips trembled as he said the next words. “My Lady, please.”

A smile took over Marinette, a much better sight he decided. “You’re one to talk, silly cat. You’ve been crying since you woke up.”

Adrien took his hand to his face; so he was. And he let himself cry more. He didn’t know what he was feeling. On the one side there was joy; he had found his Lady. But there was something else. Sorrow. Relief. Panic. Pain. Hope. It didn’t matter now, it all translated into tears.

Slowly, Adrien moved to one side of the bed and Marinette climbed onto it and placed herself next to him. He kissed her forehead, telling her of course she had to be Ladybug, it was so obvious. It could be none other than her. He kissed her forehead again, a protective gesture, something to reassure her that he was there, that he was ok now.

They held each other, both kids a mess of limbs, telling each other that it was ok, that they were ok, that it would be alright, it would never happen again. Minutes turned into hours, and they stayed the same, not wanting to let go.

 

The doctors were amazed at Adrien’s quick recovery, and he was transferred to a regular (still private) room, and all those machines he was hooked on were now gone. He had to start rehab to gain the mobility he once had, but having Plagg by his side he knew it would be a piece of cheese.

Marinette came every day to see him, of course, keeping him up with everything going on outside the hospital. She was getting used to random people and the press talking to her, now that Paris knew she was Ladybug. It was mostly because she could kick their butts if she needed to, and Adrien chuckled when she said that.

There had been an akuma attack here and there, but Marinette had managed to purify them all. She had the help of her friends and family now, who would evacuate civilians or come up with plans to defeat the black butterflies.

She had returned to school, and everyone had their eyes on her. It was intimidating, but she didn’t want to stop her education. In the end everyone just thanked her for everything and talked about how cool she was.

Sometimes she’d come straight from school to the hospital with Nino and Alya, and they’d all spend the afternoon together. They would also do homework together, so he wouldn’t get too far behind with school himself.

Even his father had come and spent an afternoon with him and Marinette. It was awkward, to say the least, and Gabriel tried to convince his son of stopping that superhero nonsense. Plagg had a few words delivered to Mr. Agreste then, which Adrien tried to stop and failed miserably. Tikki told Plagg he wasn’t being nice, but that he wasn’t wrong either. Both kids almost had a heart attack at all the things their little kwamis were saying to Adrien’s father. But at the end of the day Gabriel just left, wishing his son a fast recovery and telling both kids to look after one another. Marinette blushed so much she looked as red as Tikki, and Adrien hid his face with his hands.

All in all, Adrien was happy.

A month later the young superhero was as good as new. He left the hospital joined by Marinette, both teenagers ready to face whatever came at them, because no matter how bad it was, they were there for each other until the end.

 

It was a Wednesday afternoon. The sun was close to setting and they were jumping around the rooftops of their city. A few weeks had gone by since he came back to school, and they were back to patrolling Paris as they usually did.

 Chat Noir came to a halt, Ladybug stopping beside him. She looked at him as if to ask what was wrong, but said nothing. He was looking at the horizon: the Eiffel Tower in all its glory shone as the lights were turned on, the sun hiding far away.

“I never replied to you,” said the boy after a few minutes.

“Replied to what?” asked the girl.

He just looked at her with the biggest smile before saying “I love you, too, Marinette.”

The girl gasped in surprise and looked at green eyes. He took her hand and intertwined their fingers, humming to himself happily. He sat down and brought her down with him, just looking at the scenery. He felt full of bliss at that moment, as if he was the one with good luck.

Ladybug was furiously blushing, looking at nothing in particular. She had not expected that at all. It had already been _weeks_ and the subject never came up once. She thought maybe he had forgotten about it. That maybe he wanted things to remain as they were. But here they were, Paris at their feet, the Eiffel Tower in front of them, and he had said those words.

She finally looked at him again, and met his gentle face. He was staring at her as if she was the most precious thing in the world, as if her face could not compare to all of Paris together. His eyes were full of love, and before they knew it their lips met and the sky became dark and the stars began to shine above their heads.

**Author's Note:**

> AAaand that's it. This is actually the part I wrote first with the idea of Chat dying, but as I went along it felt wrong to let him just die, so I said fuck it, i'm gonna write two fics. You can choose whichever to be the version that really happened.  
> Also, idk if you can tell, but I like Marinette just vomiting everything in her mind all at once.  
> I have a tumblr if you wanna scream about Ladybug with me: http://hellisopentonight.tumblr.com/


End file.
